Explosive-engine.



R. A. MAPLES*l v EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. fiPLIoATIoN FILED APB. 29, 1907.

905,727; Patented Dec. 1, 1908.'

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R. A. MAPLES.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED un. 29, 1907.

Patented Dec'. 1, 190s.

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EXPLOSIVB ENGINE. APPLIGATIoN FILED APR. 2s, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1; 1908.

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R. A. MAPLES. BXPLosIvB ENGINE. lAYPLIOA'IION FILED APB. 29, 1907.

905,727. Patented Dec. 1,1908. a suivra-'SHEET 4.

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Patented-Dec. 1, 1908.

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EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1907.

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' @X51/tueuse@ RICHARD ALEXANDER NAPLES, OF CLINTON, IOWA.

ExPLosIvaENerNs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 29, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

serial No. 370,841.

To all 'fwhom it may concern:

i Be it known that I, RICHARD ALnxANnER MARLES, a citizenof the UnitedStates, residing at Clinton, inthe county of Clinton and State of Iowa',have invented a new and useful ExplosiveEngine, of which the followingis a speciiication.

L In explosive engines of thelarger types, where the starting of theengine by manual power is impracticable, it is the ordinary practice atpresent -to start and effect the initial operation of the engine by 4airor other motive fluid funder pressure. So far as I am aware, thisheretofore has required the complete alteration of a certainnumber ofthe usual four cycle cylinders of the multiple cylinder explosive engineinto two cycle air engines. These units operated by air or motive lluidwere depended upon until 'the remaining units became operative, and thusone section of the engine would be operating by exploding chargesl andthe remainder would be operating upon the order of the steam engine..The latter units are then reconverted into units of the explosive type,whereupon the complete engine becomes operative as an explosive engine.rlhis arrangement has drawbacks, for portions vof the engine only canpossibly operate in the ordinary manner until the remainder ismechanically reconverted from a two cycle air engine to a four cycleexplosive. engine.' Itl thus requires considerable time' to develop thefull power of the engine.

It is' one of the primary objects of the pres-v ent invention to providea novel combination whereby air or other motive iluid under pressure isemployed for starting but the four cycle operation of the units of theengine is not altered, and as soon as any unit is in proper condition tooperate as an explosive engine, a charge will be exploded therein, whilethe air or-motive fluid will be automatically out oli. As a result, theengine as a whole soon becomes operative without mechanically changingit, no 'conversion of'certainsections thereof takes place, andthepowcrot the engine can be more quickly and economically developed. x

A further and important object is to provide novel valve controlling andactuating means, whereby the various changes in the order of successionin the operation of the valves can'be readily effected with ease andexpedition, and as a result, the engine can be speedily and effectivelystopped, started and reversed.

An vembodiment that is at present con sidered the preferred one isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the ex haust side of a portion of amultiple cylinder explosive engine. ig. 2 is a view partly 1n elevation,and partly in section of the .intake side of said engine. Fig. 3 is anend elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view.' Fig. 5 isadetail elevation on an enlarged scale, illustrating the relation of thevalve operating mechanism on the intake side of one of the cylinders inone position. Fig. 6 is a corresponding view of the valve mechanism onthe exhaust side ofthe engine.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the parts in adifferent relation. Fig. 8 is acorresponding view of the valve mechanismon the exhaust side. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the valveactuating mechanisms. -Fig. 10 is a side view of one of the intake valvecams. Fig. 11 is an end View of the same., Fig. 12 is a side elevationof an exhaust valve actuating cam. Fig. 13 is an end elevation ofthesame. elevation of one of the cams, which actuates the motive fluidadmitting means. Fig. 15 is an end elevation thereof. Figs. 16-.19

inclusive Iare diagrammatic views illustrating the operation 4of thedifferent parts during a four cycle movement of the engine.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the referred embodiment of the engine,

Fig. 14 is a side six cylin ers,'as usual, are employed, three beingillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and designated 20. It will of course beevident that any number may be employed as desired. `l'Vithin thecylinders operate the usual ,reciprocatory pistons 21 connected bypiston I.rods 22 and pitmen 23 io the angularly set 4cranks 24 of theengine shaft l25.

The various parts are mounted 1n a suitable frame designated as a wholeby the reference y numeral 26. A su ply conduit 27 extends valong theintake si e of the engine, and has branches 28 leading to valve casings29. these casings are located suitable intake controlling valves 30operated by longitudinally y movable stems 31.4 Ignition mechanismportions 41 and 42 disposed journaled on their free ends.

66 of the shafts 44 32 is also lehated on this side bf the engine,

and is operated through the medium ofl longitudinally movable stems 33.

The lower ends of the-various stems, as shown particularly in Figs. 4,v5, 7 and 9 rest upon swinging arms 34 loosely journaled on an axle orshaft 35 and havingrollers 36 on their outer ends. Beneath said rollersand spaced therefrom is a shaft 37 extending longitudinally along theintake side of the englne and geared, as shown at 38, to a shaft 39,which is in turn, geared as shown at 40 to the engine shaft. Upon theshaft 37 are fixed sets of cams, each set comprising raised 1n properreation, and leaving between them, -a track or uideway 43 that isconcentric to the axis of t e shaft 37. Another shaft 44 has looselyjournaled thereon, a series of selectors comprising' arms 45 havinrollers 46 journaled on their outer ends. T e rol ers respectivelycoperate with the cams 41 and 42 of the different sets, and as the shaft44 is llongi tudinally movable, each roller may be placed in a positionto operate upon the intermee diate tracks 43 or upon either of the cams41 and 42. The corresponding selectors, which effect the operation ofthe ignition mechanismstems 33, operate against suitable eccentrics 47fixed tothe shaft 37.

The exhaust side of the engine, shown in Fig. 1, has a common exhaustconduit 48, to which are connectedl branches 49 leading from the upperand lower ends of the cylin- :f ders through valve casings 50. Thecasings contain suitable exhaust controlling valves 51, from whichdepend stems 52. The lower ends of these stems bear uponswingingactuated arms or elements 53 havin -rollers 54 Se ector arms 55, looselyjournaled upon a longitudinally movable shaft 56, have rollers 57 thatoperate against the rollers 54. Anothercam shaft 58, journaled along theexhaust side of the en- I ginel frame, is operated through suitablegearing 59 from the engine shaft, and is pro? vided with sets ofoppositely disposed cams 60 and 61, leaving a concentric track 62'between them. It will be observed that the cams 60 and 61 arecomparatively broad, and that directlyopposite to them are comparativelynarrow relief cams 63, these cams be ing employed for-relievingcompression in the ordinary well known manner, andutil-v ized, ashereinafter explained. lt will thus be observed that the intake andvexhaust va'lve controlling mechanisms are very similar in character andoperation.

In order to effect the shifting of the selec tors, any suitablemechanism 'may be emplo'yed. Thus the present embodiment,a :over 64 isfixed to a `tremeversely disposed shaft 65, and said nhaft has gearwheels 66 cooperating with. i l ined to the ends i. .lhue apen theopsoave? low each set of selectors is a rock shaft 71 and these rockshaftszhave cranks 72 at their ends that are connected by a cross link73. A lever 74 is iix'ed to one of the shafts. The selector arms 45 onone side ofthe engine are provided with depending fingers 75, and theshaft 71 adjacent thereto vis provided with cams 76 arranged to engagethe fingers. v The opposite shaft is also provided with cams 77 thatcooperate with corresponding fingers 78 dependlng from the adjacentselector arms. -It will be observed, however, that the cams 76 'areshorter than the cams 77 and that said'cams 77 will engage and operateagainst the fingers 78 before the cams 76 op ei-ate upon the fingers 75.Thus if thelever 74 is actuated, the cams 77 will first engage thefingers 78, and raise the selector arms 55 and rollers 57 away, 'fromthe coacting cams and the continued movement will carry the cam 76against the fingers l75 and raise the selector arms 45. Whenthesedifferent sets of arms have been elevated,` the lever 64 can be moved,thus carrying the selectors in either direction desired.

Lpon the exhaust side of the engine, as shown more particularly in Figs.1, 3 and 4, is a pipe 79 for conducting motive fluid, and

this pipe has branches 8() leading to valve v casings 81. One of thesevalve -casings is shown in section in Fig. 1, and it will be observedthat it has a mechanically operated valve 82 provided with a dependingvalve stem 83, andan inwardly opening automatic valve 84 normally heldclosed by a spring 85.

The depending stems 83 of the different mechanical air or motive fluidcontrolling valves rest upon swinging arms 86 having rollers 87 at theirouter ends, and selector rollers 88 corresponding in all respects tothose already described bear against the 'rollers 87 and cooperate withsets of cams 89 mounted on the 'cam shaft 58.l It will be observed thatthe cams 89 are Acomparatively narrow, being substantially the widthofthe rollers88 and havin spaces on theirl outer sides in which said roers can operate. Now it is desired to strongly emphasizethis fact, thatthe air cams 89of each cylinder are disposed in alternation with theintake cams 41 and 42 of the same cylinder. This is important in orderto clearly comprehend the operation of the engine, which is of the fourcycle type, as already outlined. In

this type of engine, it is well known that, i

y moved in one direction or the other one notch on the explosive strokeof a four cyclel movelIlode a charge, the charge Will be upon the firststroke of the en ine, a char e Will be' drawn into the cylin er, upon te second stroke, this charge will 'be compressed, .on the third stroke,the charge will; e fired or exploded,and the exhaust takes' place uponthe fourth stroke. In the present mechanism, if the lever 64 is in itscentral position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the various selector rollers46, 57 and 188 will be in their central or neutral positions, and if the,engine Were turned over, thereA would be novalve action` If, however,it is desired to start the engine, said lever is of the fquadrant70.`The parts will then be in the relation shown in lligs.' 5 and 6, and

, remembering that the air or motive fluid controlling' valves operatein alternation with the intake valves onthe same side of the piston, thec cle of operation Will be'substan` tially as riisclosed in Figs. 1649inclusive, it being understood that at least one of the cylinders landpistons will be at the start of or ment. Consequently as shown 1n Fig.18,' the air valve 82 will beopened, thus admitting air to the'cylinderto effect this stroke of the piston, the valve 84 opening under pressureof air or motive' fluid. Upon the succeeding stroke, the exhaust valve5l Will be opened to permit thev escape of the air. Upon the thirdstroke, (the engine being driven by the compressed air in anothercylinder), the intake valve 30 Will be opened by its cam operatingthrough the interposed selector,` actuatin element and stem 31.- Acharge will thus e introduced into the cylinder, and upon' the returnstroke, this charge will be compressed but the relief cam 63 will' nowbe in a position to slightly open theex haust valve 51 and relieve apart of this compression in a manner Well understood. This completes thecycle, and on the first stroke of the next cycle Vthe air valve 82 willagain be opened. However, at the same time, the igniter 32 is operated,and it is possible and even probable that the char e slightly compressedwill be exploded. if an explosion takes place, the force ofsuchexplosion will holdthe automatic valveV 84 closed. Consequently theysupply of air Willnot be utilized,l but if an explosion does not tr keplace, the valve 84 openin under the pressure of air or motive fluid Wilagain admit such air or motive fluid to the cylinder and again effectthe stroke of the piston. Following the above described operation, theexhaust valve 51 Willagain be opened to ermit the escape of' theexploded/gases or ol) the airas' the case ma be.

With this mechanism, it is to be observed that throughout the 'variouscylinders, as soon as any one unit is in condition to ex-l ignited.

ails to l n the other hand,vif the explosion kthe necessity of supp,believed to be 'sirable no necessity of shifting the cams 'orthe valve'occur, thesupplemental motive fluid will ai f tomatically take itsplace` to drive the engine. Consequently for instance, in a six cylinderengine, air or motive fluid need be introduced upon one sideof eachpiston only, and in any case, this air or motive fluid is admitted uponythe explosion stroke of the four cycle engm'e,

sogthat it never interferes With the intake of the charge. Moreover,admission depends, as already shown, upon the explosion, and it will beevident that the engine is economical not only in the charges introducedbut in the amount of air emplofyed. The only real loss compressionduring the occurs in the relief o compression atrolsre, and itispossible, though probably notipracticable, to eliminate the reief, butit would require air or motive fluid under great pressure to effect ahigh compression of the charge. Consequently it is elieved to bepreferable to employ the relief cams. Having now started the engine inthis manner, as soon as the Ordinar succession of explosion be ins totake p ace,and

lemental motive fluid is eliminated, the lever 64 is moved to the secondnotch. AThis carries the selector rollers 88 entirely out -of the pathof movement of the cams :89, and consequently cuts out or makes inactivethe motive uuid controlling valves 82. At thesame time, the'rselectorrollers 57 which control the operation .of the exhaust valves, are movedso that they are out of the ath of movement of the relief cams 63.I'lbwever, the ordinaryintake and exhaust is not in any mannerchangedfor the cams 42 and 60 are broad enough to engage- With the rollers 46and 57 when in ,their in. termediate or end positions. The only effecttherefore of the second movement is to cut out the relief cams and therelief action of the exhaust valves and maintain inactive thelmechanical valves 82 which control lthe sup- -ply of motive fluid. Tostop the engine, all

that is necessary is to return the selectorsl to their intermediate orneutral -positions and a reversal can be easily-effected by moving thelever in the opposite direction. While it is est to utilize all thecylinders on one side of each piston, in a six-cylinder engine, it Willof course be understood that a less number ofi cylinders may be employedand if desired thel air or motive fluid canbe admitted to a c linder onopposite sides of the piston as wel as on one s1de only.

Outside of the advantagessecured by the general combination, themechanism employed for operating the valves and changing theirsuccession of movement, is highly de- With the means disclosed there isstems, the intermediate selectors eliminating this necessity.Furthermore the cams can be vmade comparatively narrow and the amount ofmovement of the selectors is comparatively ,sin all. f

fixa

From the foregoing, it is thoughtthat the vactior'rwith both of its camsand the second construction, operatlonv and many4 'advanselector out ofcoaction With both of theretages of the herein described invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, Without further description,and it Will be underv,stood that various changes in the size, shape,proportion, and minor details of construetion, may be resorted to4Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the Iadvantagesof the invention.

f Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire tov secure by Letters Patent, is 1 '1. Ina four cycle explosiveengine, the combination With a cylinder 'and a piston operating therein,of means for admitting a charge upon one stroke of the piston, means forexploding a chargeupon another stroke of the piston, a valve foradmitting motive fiuid on the latter stroke, a set of operatingv devicesfor the valve, said devices being rela- .tively shiftable into andy outof coaction With 'each other, an exhaust'valve, a set of relativelyshiftable devices for operating the exhaust valve, and common means foreffecting therelative shifting movement between the devices of bothsets, said means carrying the devices of the first set into coaction s1-.Inultaneously with those of the second set and 'also carrying thedevices of thefirst set out of coaction While retaining thoset'cf ,the

second set in coaction. i, A

1 2. In ra reversible four cycle engine, the combination With a cylinderand 'a vpiston operating therein, of means for admitting a charge uponone stroke of the piston, means for exploding/a charge upon anotherstroke ofthe piston,.'a valve for admitting motive fluid on thclatterstroke, aselector for operating the v,motive fluid valve, a pair ofspaced v ca-ms for actuating the selector, said selector and cams beingrelatively shiftable to bring either cam into coaction Withv theselector accordingly as the engine is reversed and being also relativelyshiftable to maintain both cams out of coaction With the selector,'anexhaust valve, a second selector forope'rating the exhaust valve, a'pair lof exhaust cams and apair of oppositelyrset relief cams foractuating the second selector, said cams and second selector being rela-'tivelyl shiftable to bring said different exbothian exhaust and arelief cam, said means 6.5 also maintaining the first selector out ofcofor successi? lief cams While retaining said second selectorincoaction with either of the-exhaust cams.

3. In a four cycle. explosive engine,f-the combination with a cylinder,and a v pistn operating therein, of a motive fluid inlet valve and anexhaust valve, a plurality of separate actuating devices for thedifferent va lsingle cam shaft, a narrow camion the '-eam shaft foreffecting a relief opening of the exhaust valve, another narrow cam onthe relief cam out of coaction with their respec-' tive actuating deviceWhile the exhaust cam and actuating device remain at all times 1ncoperative relation.

4. In a reversible four cycle engine, the

vcombination With a cylinder, and a piston operatin therein, ofmechanism for introducing 4c ar es, exploding the chargesv andexhausting t e same, said mechanism being shiftable to reverse theengine, mechanism for admitting motive fluid on the explosion or workingstroke only of the piston, and common means for shifting the chargeadmitting, exploding and exhausting mechanism to reverse the en ine andfor'actuating the motive fluid supp y means, and for permittingand'cuttingofl' the supply of motive fluid when said engine is runningin either direction. f

5. In a reversible four cycle engine, the combination awith a pluralityl of cylinders, andpistons y introducing charges into, exloding thecharges in and exhausting them rom the cylinders, said 'mechanism beingshiftable to reverse the engine, mechanism for successively admittingmotive fluid toA the cylinders on the explosion or wor-king strokes only'of the pistons, said mechanism being automatically held inoperative bythe explosion when the same takes place, and common means for shiftingthe charge ad- I nitting, exploding andexhausting mechanism to're'rersethe engine, and foroperating the motive fluid supply mechanism to ermitand cut off the supply of the motive uld to the different cylinders whensaid engine is running in either direction.

6. In`v a reversible four cycle engine, the

combinai-tion with al plurality of cylinders,

operating therein, of mechanismV e p actuating device of each exhaustvalve,

when the ignition mechanism is f and common means for effecting atingdevice for each4 valve, a. air of reversing cams for each actuatingevice, an exhaust valve for each cylinder, anactuating device for eachexhaust valve, a pair of reversing exhaust `cams'for each vice, a pairof reversing relief cams for the igmtion mechanism for each cylinder, 4amotive fluid supply pi e for each cylinder, `an actuating defice or eachmotive fluid supply val/e, a vpair of reversing cams for operatingeachof the said last mentioned actuating devices on the Working strokesof the pistons operated,

shifting movementbetween the actuating devices and the cams to effectthe reversal of` the engine, to position the intake, exhaust, re-

l lief and motive fluid supply cams in simultaactuating de-4 a relativevsive charges to each cylinder, a valve controlled exhaustfor eachcy1inder,'ignition mechanism for each cylinder, valve controlled meansfor admitting motive fluid to each cylinder, means for take valves once'on every second revolution of the engine, means for,operating theignition mechanism once on every second revooperating v the in- .l

lution of the engine and in alternation with the operation of theintakeval.es,vmeans foroperatingthe motive fluid supply controlling valvesonce on every second revolution and on the revolutions during which theignition mechanism is operated, means operating .the exhaust valves onceon every revolution of thev engineto respectively relieve compressionand permit the exhausts to takep ace, and common means for throwing intoand out of action the valves controlling the motive iuid supplyandsimultaneously cutting in and out the relief operations of the exhaustYvalves. y

In' testimony, that I claim the foregoing-as my own, I have heretoafiixed my signature in the' presence of two witnesses.

.- RICHARD ALEXANDER llIAILIIS.v

Witnesses:

F. B. KING, y f CHAs. S. HARRIS.y

